


Space for Kids

by Aster_Writ



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics), Green Lantern (Comics), Green Lantern - All Media Types, Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps (Comics)
Genre: Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Hal Has Issues, Kinda, Love Confessions, M/M, fuck Tom King, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 09:11:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18870178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aster_Writ/pseuds/Aster_Writ
Summary: Bruce Wayne is good with kids and better with feelings and support than Hal realises he needs.We may get more parts depending on my spite for Tom King.





	Space for Kids

Contrary to popular opinion in the Justice League, and perhaps surprisingly so, Bruce Wayne was a good father.

Like, incredibly good.  
The guy managed to carry around a baby Darkseid strapped to his chest. Of course they all knew he was a good parent now but at the start? No. No one expected tall dark and broody to be good with kids. Especially with one that seemed as energetic and light-hearted as Robin.

Well. The first one that is.

Still, contrary to what anyone expected, Bruce was the one to go to for issues with kids. At first, it was assumed that the butler was the driving force behind the child rearing. And he was at first, but with time and study Bruce took to it like he did most things. It became accepted fact that despite the fact Batman’s whole thing was intimidation, he seemed to be a natural in working with children.

Need someone to comfort the traumatised kid? Call Batman. Gift idea for a child relative? Call Batman. Having a fight with your protégé? Call Batman. Ideas for how to discipline a rowdy sidekick and/or child that won’t listen to your orders and needs to learn a lesson? Call the fucking Batman.

 

So, intellectually, Hal knew he shouldn’t have been surprised when Bruce “If I See A Child Upset Flip A Coin To See If It Will Be A Robin In Two Months” was consoling the alien children as the Green Lantern focused on flying the Javelin out of the active battlezone that had become the orbit of Mercury.

Hal had made sure the slave trader was no longer a threat—permanently—and he’d likely be written up by the Guardians and the Bat himself for that later, but for now it was a matter of survival and keeping the children safe. 

The thing that was particularly impressive was that a fair chunk of the languages the mismatched collection of alien children spoke was not included in the latest update in the Justice League’s universal translator. Still, in spite of the symbol on Hal’s chest, Bruce in his dark cowl and pointy ears and armour seemed to have been the one that the children sought comfort in. 

Then again. Hal had hurled fluorescent green nails at a sentient being. Even if he considered them more monster than person.

Batman calmed the children with universally soothing noises and gestures. Voice softer and far gentler than Hal had really ever heard; nothing of the usual Batman growl in his voice. A few had taken shelter in that great cape’s span, not that Bruce seemed bothered by that at all. Hal suddenly had the image of Bruce wandering through the cave, cowl pushed back, with all his children clamoring to fit under that cape. Even the ones far too tall.

A purple child with four eyes and limbs that were digitigrade standing on three feet had started to cling to Bruce where he sat on the ground, effectively in his lap. Hal was grateful for someone handling the kids, really. Sure, he was pretty good with kids but that was in an uncle way, like taking the kids out for catch or to a game, giving them cool presents and then returning them to their parents. Just ask Wally. Or Roy.

Still, in just like everything involving the Batman, Hal couldn’t resist running his mouth, “If you feel like helping out as a co-pilot anytime soon, that’d be great.” He drawled. As soon as he started saying it, the pilot knew he made a mistake.

Bruce’s glare only confirmed that. “Focus on the task at hand. Someone has to help the children.” Instead of the usual curt tone from the Batman, however, it was in what Hal had inwardly dubbed Dad Comfort Bruce voice so it was rather hard to take it seriously

“Fine, fine, you do you Spooky.”

Most of the flight proceeded in silence on Hal’s part from there. Sometime he started humming a tune Hal knew from somewhere but couldn’t quite place where exactly he remembered. Still, it seemed to work on settling the kids down for nap time, even though Hal heard a few complaints about the oddness of the tune from the kids. He couldn’t help but laugh, being fully aware that music was non-existent on Rehngi and what passed as a lullaby on Xurgen would be more like death metal on Earth. The cape was detached and being used as something of a shared blanket by the odd mob of children while the actual shock blankets were used more as pillows. 

The air seemed noticeably colder when Bruce settled into the copilot’s chair bare of the cape and cowl, some compartments of the belt had been emptied to provide nutrition for the children and something to entertain them. If Hal didn’t think it would earn him a punch in the face, he would have told Bruce that it was cute.

“I see you managed a satisfactory job of not getting us all killed.”

Hal didn’t take his eyes of the course he charted, letting the thinly veiled insult wash over him. It wasn’t fair, considering how he was one probably the greatest pilot on Earth, but with how he spoke to Bruce earlier about the co-piloting, there was no doubt Hal deserved it.

Bruce was looking over the controls idly, not deigning to look at Hal either. Somehow the mutual adamant refusal to look at each other only made it more awkward. Hal wasn’t sure how long the silence stretched on for before he finally sat back and switched to autopilot. 

Breathed in. Breathed out.

“I’m sorry for what I said.” Hal said, his mask shimmering out of existence as he forced sincerity and vulnerability into his words. “I was… stressed. It’s not an excuse, but it is an explanation for why I was a bag of dicks.”

“Hm” was the ever wordy response from the Batman. He turned back to inspect the children and if they were still sleeping before facing the Lantern with a full force BatStare. “That would imply that you’re not always a bag of dicks, Jordan.”

It took everything Hal had not to chuckle loudly and disturb their passengers then and there. The laughter died quickly, however.

“That stress wouldn’t have anything to do with your failure to detain the head of this operation, would it.” Bruce spoke lowly, slowly. It was the Disappointed BatDad Voice. 

Hal suddenly understood completely why the BatKids all seemed to possess humongous issues with guilt. “How’d you know.”  
Thankfully, the Bat chose that moment to break the inspection of Hal, making him feel a little less like he was being interrogated. “You forget that the Red Hood is one of my sons. And I spend most of my spare time-solving murders.”

Hal winced and studied his hands. He knew it was wrong, a mistake. But he couldn’t let this guy live, couldn’t risk the Guardians letting him out on a deal. Couldn’t bare a future where there would be a round two with this guy. His hands felt like they were shaking but the grip on the controls never faltered. Or that was how it looked to him, he hoped it was how it looked to Bruce. “So what happens now, you gonna snitch on me to Big Blue? Finally remove me from the League like you’ve always wanted?”

Leave it to Hal Jordan to fuck up further when he’s already fucked up.

There was that “Hm” again as Bruce debated internally. It wasn’t a secret that Hal Jordan had killed, he’d been Air Force and he’d been in real space wars. Diana had also killed at horrible times. So had Oliver. “Believe it or not, Hal, I’ve never once wanted you out of the League.”

It was impossible to miss how Hal winced at Bruce using his name. “What you did disagrees with the League’s Code of Conduct and I cannot condone it or accept it.” It was direct and Hal could practically hear the beginnings of his latest firing. “You’re a good man when you choose to be. Redemption isn’t a one and done thing. If it was, Jason and I wouldn’t have half as many issues as we do.”

“Did you just fucking compare me to your edgy shitlord zombie kid?” Hal asked incredulously, which drew an answering laugh from Bruce.

“Why not? He likes you well enough, I believe you’re his second favourite of the League.” 

“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure that’s because you hate me.” Hal grinned, relaxing a little into the seat, now that whatever this was was… sorted, he was comfortable with switching back to manual controls.

“Far from it, actually.” Came Bruce’s smooth response in something between the typical Bruce Wayne voice and the soothing voice of before.

Well, shit.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“When we drop the kids off at the nearest GL outpost,” Hal started almost a little breathlessly, a faint sound he would argue until the day he died was not a giggle no matter what Bruce said escaped, “we’re having a long long talk about appropriate workplace relationships and interactions. Like the ones you love giving to everyone, it’ll be sexy.”

“That’s not what we should talk about. But the topic of the stress you are currently under with the Corps and your psychological issues can wait until a third date.”

Yeah, they’d work this out somehow.

**Author's Note:**

> this was spite written solely in response to Tom King making Bruce hit Tim. And I like BatLantern. hopefully this will break my writers block.


End file.
